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Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, WAprivate nonprofitspu.edu
Acceptance
83%
Avg net price
$24,488
Earnings (10 yr)
$64,506
Graduation rate
62%
Admit rate has ranged 91%–92% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Seattle Pacific University blends rigorous academics with a distinctly Christian ethos, offering a tight-knit community in the heart of one of America's most dynamic cities. Known for its strong health professions and business programs, SPU attracts students who want both a faith-based education and access to Seattle's urban opportunities. With an 83% acceptance rate and a graduation rate hovering around 65%, it's a place where students find personal attention but face real academic challenges.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- Letters of recommendation
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
- Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 1,762
- In-state tuition
- $40,407
- Out-of-state tuition
- $40,407
- Top Majors
- Health Professions, Business, Physiology
- Acceptance Rate
- 83.4%
- On-Campus Housing
- 48% of students
- 6-Year Graduation Rate
- 64%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $64,506
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 2.6×
- Median debt at graduation
- $24,000
- Graduation rate
- 62%
- First-year retention
- 72%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 79%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 47%
- First-generation share
- 23%
- Endowment / student
- $92,254
Financial health
2.2 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$71,463
- Accounting and Related Services$55,964
- Business/Commerce, General$49,875
- Education, General$47,260
- Design and Applied Arts$43,798
- Communication and Media Studies
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 3
- Per 1,000 students
- 1.70
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 125
- Summer high
- 74°F
- Winter low
- 37°F
- Annual rain
- 44.5"
- Annual snow
- 14.4"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility
Research output
- Institutional h-index
- 217
- Scholarly works
- 4,325
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
- Mobility rate
- 1.3%
- Bottom → top quintile
- 30%
- From bottom quintile
- 4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at Seattle Pacific University?
- Seattle Pacific University's acceptance rate is approximately 83% (Seattle, WA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- How much does Seattle Pacific University cost?
- At Seattle Pacific University, the average net price (after aid) is about $24,488 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend Seattle Pacific University?
- Seattle Pacific University enrolls approximately 1,762 undergraduate students.
- Where is Seattle Pacific University located?
- Seattle Pacific University is located in Seattle, WA.
Admissions
SPU's admissions process is moderately selective, with an 83.4% acceptance rate (2,406 admits from 2,885 applications in 2024). The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1090–1300 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT, though the university is test-optional. Applications are due by July 1 for regular decision. Notably, SPU does not require admission to specific programs upfront, allowing students to explore before declaring majors.
Academics
SPU offers a Christian liberal arts education with particular strengths in health professions (the most popular major) and business. Small class sizes foster close faculty relationships, and the curriculum emphasizes integrating faith with learning. Other notable programs include physiology (56% of majors graduate) and English (73% graduation rate). The university’s urban location provides internships and research opportunities, particularly in healthcare and tech.
Compare Seattle Pacific University
See colleges similar to Seattle Pacific University →Sources
- Common Data Set | Seattle Pacific University
- SPU Facts | Seattle Pacific University
- [PDF] A. General Information - Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle Pacific University - DFR Report HTML
- Seattle Pacific University - Data USA
- Common Data Set (CDS) - University of the Pacific
- Seattle Pacific University SAT Scores and GPA - PrepScholar
- Seattle Pacific University Admissions - BigFuture College Search
- Test Scores and Test Optional Admission Policy
- Seattle Pacific University - Tuition and Acceptance Rate - Peterson's
